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“We currently do not have the funds to pay these taxes”: City of Archer declares financial emergency after failing to file six quarters of payroll taxes

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

ARCHER, Fla. – The City of Archer has requested that the County help with internal auditing after letting the state know they are in a financial emergency due to a failure to file six quarters of payroll taxes, a total of $178,000 plus unknown penalties.

Interim City Manager Deanna Alltop sent the Alachua County Commission a letter yesterday, asking for help with internal auditing because their accountant abruptly resigned on October 31. Alltop said the City has hired Dallas Lee from the City of Newberry until they can fill the position permanently; she said they are “making progress with a plan to get the City’s finances back on track.”

Alltop also asked the County for planning assistance to revise their Land Development Code because they do not have a planner on staff.

Alltop attached letters that the City had sent to Governor Ron DeSantis and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee on November 5, notifying both entities that the City is in a financial emergency.

“The former city manager, Charles Hammond was terminated by the City Commission during an emergency meeting on September 19th, 2024, for misconduct. I was appointed as interim city manager during that same meeting.

“On October 14th, 2024, our accountant, Cindy Thomas sent an email to our City Commission stating that the city’s 941s had not been submitted to the IRS for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarter of 2023 and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarter of 2024. The city owes approximately $178,000.00… We currently do not have the funds to pay these taxes.

“Cindy thomas resigned from the city on October 31st, 2024.”

Excerpt from Deanna Alltop’s letters to Governor DeSantis and JLAC

  • Better off asking State of FL for assistance than AC BOCC!

    AC BOCC already licking their chops at the idea of taking over Archer! They will simply drive it into the ground and sell off all the land in Archer they can!

  • Withholding taxes from payroll and failing to submit them is a criminal act. It isn’t a regular bill. When deducted from payroll it belongs to the IRS. This is money that Archer stole.

  • “Failure to file?!?” “Six quarters!?!”

    That’s not a failure, that’s gross negligence.
    How many people can a town the size of Archer actually have on the payroll? They apparently had at least one too many.

  • Trump will abolish the IRS anyway. But that could be years away, after tariffs make up the difference — and Biden doesn’t start WW III before Jan. 20.

  • This what our city officials have in mind with their “home rule” proposition. With no one to mind the cookie jar, they can indulge their fat butts as much as they want.

  • What!!! Thats a felony for a year and half of payroll taxes due plus steep penalties and interest!
    Looks like they need to fire a lot of people and lessen their payroll and have them arrested
    Better get on top of that and apply for a payment plan with the IRS

  • They have to have a yearly audit performed. How did this not get identified? Unless they are also behind on their audits . . .

  • figures gainesville cant manage there money there piggy bank got shut off lol gainesville taught him thats sad

  • Pfft, amateurs. If you want to steal taxpayer money, you can’t just keep payroll taxes and pray that the IRS never notices.

    You have to launder it through vague and unaccountable organizations like GRACE Marketplace first.

    Taxpayer dollars go in, a chunk is used for a few inflated salaries / well-placed bribes at GRACE, and then a chunk is used for direct cash payments to Gainesville City Commissioners, or that money is used for in-kind contributions to their campaigns or political operatives.

    Voters don’t have a clue how the money is spent, and there are no performance metrics, so the money just keeps flowing in forever. Next time ask the GCC how they do it.

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